The present invention pertains to an improved knife handle. Specifically, the invention relates to an elongate handle for a knife which includes a front bolster with a sweptforward thumb wing extending adjacent the rear portion of a knife blade. The thumb wing provides a thumb-force-transmitting pressure platform which enables a user, comfortably, to apply greater cutting pressure to a knife blade than would otherwise be possible without the provision of the thumb wing.
Provision of a thumb notch or thumb rest on the upper rear surface of a knife blade is known in the prior art. However, the thumb notch or thumb rest is a part of a steel blade, and is the same width as the blade adjacent its choil. While some additional force can be applied through such a notch, force application is usually neither very comfortable nor very effective because of the notch's relative lateral thinness. Additionally, if the knife is used during skinning or capping of game, fluids from the game will result in the blade and its associated thumb notch becoming slippery. The users hand may then slip off the blade, possibly contacting the sharpened surface of the blade.
An object of the instant invention is to provide a knife handle with a unique thumb-force-transmitting pressure platform which represents a significant improvement over prior art thumb notches.
More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide such a platform which enables, comfortably, the application of appreciable, "sure-footed" cutting force on a blade.
Another object of the invention is to provide a knife handle with such a platform which is an integral portion of the handle.
A further object of the invention is to provide a knife handle with a swept-forward thumb wing or platform which extends over the rear portion of a knife blade, with the top surface of the wing furnishing a platform of the type outlined.
The handle of the instant invention includes an elongate grip, which, in the case of a non-folding knife, substantially surrounds a rear tang end of a generally planar blade bar. The blade bar also has a forward, sharpened blade end extending beyond the handle. The handle includes a front bolster which is joined to the grip adjacent the handle's front end. The bolster is formed with a swept-forward thumb wing or platform which extends forwardly over the rear of the blade. The platform is substantially normal to the plane of the blade bar. The thumb wing provides a wide, thumb-force-transmitting pressure platform which allows a user, comfortably, to exert greater pressure on the blade than would otherwise be possible without the inclusion of the thumb wing. The thumb wing may be provided with a slip-inhibiting surface. In a preferred embodiment, the slip-inhibiting surface takes the form of transverse grooves extending across the wing.
Depending upon the particular design of a knife incorporating the present invention, the platform may be formed entirely within the structure of the bolster or blade bar. Alternatively, as is the case for the two embodiments of knives (folding and non-folding) illustrated and described herein, the central portion of the platform may in fact be formed by a part of the rear upper surface of the blade bar.
These and other objects and advantages of the instant invention will become more fully apparent when the description which follows is read in conjunction with the drawings.